Robie’s okay. Really. The first four panels are just Stephanie’s overactive imagination.

Wow, I really goofed this one up.

You know, I was working on the dialogue for the last panel, and I almost sent it to you to see what you would’ve thought.

And Green Demons are very strong, fairly intelligent mythical creatures in this world. They’re real in the world of “Lyssa and the Pirates.”
One of them, Caliban, is a main character. You caught a glimpse of him here.

Wow. Like the others, I read it literally, but after Charlie’s clarification, it also totally reads like it’s all in Stephanie’s imagination. I think the confusion could be avoided if Stephanie’s line on the last panel had been different.

Good grief! Am I the only one out here who caught on in rhe first readthrough? Although simple honesty forces me to admit that I originally thought she was reacting to a dream she’d had, not “Mommy fears”.

A dreaming woman is a dangerous thing, and the most terrifying nine words a husband can hear are, “Honey, I had a dream about you last night.” It’s never good, you’re always a monster, and she WILL hold it against you. A friend of mine carried a bruise on his back for a week where his wife had kicked him because she’d, “had a dream”.

I was in the “oh, it’s a dream / imagination” group, but that raises the question of Stephanie and imagination. I think this is a new talent for her? She’s demonstrated curiosity and several other traits, but I’m not sure she’s dreamed or imagined something before.

Dear Charlie and gang:
I suggest that if it is possible you should redo the comic with a running dialogue of Stephanie saying that she is worried about a green Demon getting to Robespierre and she describing what she is afraid of to run parallel with what is in the panel. That way it is certain we are only seeing what is in her imagination.I confess I thought this really was some monster that had sprung loose from the lab and was in mourning for Robespierre as well. I’m a bit sheepish now! Now Larry is going to have to set up a Robespierre cam so Stephanie will not be worried all the time! Best Regards
Karl

I take that as a great compliment! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I have the best commenters ever! You’re thoughtful, smart, and you always have something positive to give to the comic. I can’t tell you how many times I check GK during my workday, hoping someone’s left a comment.

As far as having Stephanie do a running commentary, I think it would eliminate the surprise at the end. It’s tricky. I want to have the surprise, but I don’t want to mislead the reader.
Though I do think it works much better with the “bears” dialogue.

It’s funny-without giving too much away-I was already thinking of having Larry put in a Robespierre monitor, so Stephanie could listen to him while she’s at work.
Since Robespierre is silent, I have this image of Stephanie giving him a bulb horn to squeeze to let her know that he’s okay. And he’d squeeze it over, and over, and over…

LOL!! I can see Larry exasperated trying to talk to Stephanie as we here a nonstop HONK-A-HONK-HONK-A-HONK-HONK!!!! emanating from the monitor screen while Stephanie half listens to Larry while waving at Robespierre cooing like a doting mother! Larry quits trying to tell her something (which could be something important to the story) realizing he’ll never win this one.

The new version is a little clearer, but if it were me, I would have had her say something like “How do you know? It could happen!”, which would, at least to me, signal that she’s imagining it more obviously.
Then again, I’m a tad dense. I probably should have realized you wouldn’t just kill of lil’ Robie, but I had thought maybe the next time we saw him he’d be inexplicably having a spot of tea with the Green Demon or something like that. I never can predict your next move.

I do believe that this page has set the all-time record for comments. And what is the subject matter? Perhaps it’s time to update your Logo. “A FOUR CHARACTER ROMANTIC COMEDY”. Food for thought, Charlie, food for thought. 😉